Show me the receipts: Liam Gallagher’s history of LGBTQ-related statements revisited

His 30-year commitment to the mod shag hairstyle is nothing if not camp — but does that automatically make headline-generating Mancunian and Oasis frontman Liam an LGBTQ+ ally? Of course not, and neither does a Ryan Murphy-worthy on/off feud with his brother, Noel.

But as the guys kiss and make up ahead of the 2025 reunion tour, we look back in (occasional) anger at Liam’s relationship with the community.

1998 

When Simon Fowler of Ocean Colour Scene is outed as gay by the tabloids, Liam kisses his peer seemingly in an act of solidarity. Says Fowler: “Looking back now, it seems absurd — and I don’t think anybody gave a toss even then. In fact, when it happened, the first thing Liam Gallagher did was come up and kiss me on the lips!” 

October 2000  

According to music critic Simon Price, Liam heckled Kylie (“Lesbian!”) and Robbie Williams (“Queer!”) at that year’s Q Awards. “Liam Gallagher’s homophobia has gone unchallenged for years,” reflected Price in 2018. “Everyone just indulgently laughed along. This was in 2000. Two decades on, it’s still his go-to insult.” Collecting his band’s award at the ceremony, Liam reportedly told attendees: “This one’s for Robbie as usual — he stands for the letter Q.” After the awards, he reportedly said: “I’ve heard he’s been mouthing off about me when I’m not around, but when he’s sitting in the same room, he shuts his mouth. It just goes to show who is the soft lad. I don’t dislike him; I don’t hate him, I just think he’s rubbish. If he slags my band off, he slags my girlfriend and he slags my brother off, I’ll have him.” As Attitude can attest, this reads like the transcript of countless incidents of playground bullying of gay boys by straight boys at the time. 

June 2016

During the Euro 2016 football tournament, and days after the Pulse massacre in Orlando left 49 mostly LGBTQ+ club-goers dead at the hands of a homophobic gunman, Liam refers to Russian hooligans as “batty boys” on Twitter, now known as X, saying: “Russian hooligans skintight shorts bumbags batty boy muscles ha ha I’d be more worried bout getting me arse pinched. LG.” Number one: the remark is a chilling insight into the ugly language used freely offline by (some) football fans every time they get passionate about the beautiful game. Number two: we would sooner punch ourselves in the face than venture up Liam’s parka. Former Attitude cover star Damon Albarn of Blur fame, on the other hand… 

June 2016                                   

Liam promptly apologises for his tweet, but it leaves us cold. “If I’ve upset anybody with my tweets, I apologise,” he tells his followers, adding: “That includes you RKID as you were LG x.” Could it be Noel, from whom he was estranged at the time, was genuinely affected by Liam’s comment? Or was Liam resorting to low-blow teenage boy banter and implying his brother, too, was a ‘batty boy’? Newsflash to Liam, Noel, and anyone else reading this: there’s nothing better than being a batty boy! 

June 2017  

In an interview with the Guardian, Liam shares that he’s discussed sexuality with his then-teenage children. “I speak to my kids on a daily basis,” the star explained.  “I’m not one of those uptight fathers — everything is open round our way. We can talk about anything. Girls, boys, whatever. I’m like ‘Is there anything you want to tell me? Anything to do with your sexuality? You know, I don’t give a fuck about that, you are what you are. There’s nothing that’s out of bounds.” A big enough tick to make up for almost everything else on this page combined. 

September 2017  

Liam elaborates on his relationship with his kids, telling The Big Issue: “We’ve talked a bit about drugs — one of them smokes a bit of weed. Nothing too heavy but I’m there, man. Our chats are open, about girls and things. And we’ve had that chat about if they’re gay or anything. They know I’ll love them whatever. But they have to learn their own lessons, live their own lives. And they know everything about my past. So, I don’t have much of a leg to stand on, do I, telling them they should do this or that.” 

January 2018  

He’s back at it again on Twitter, insulting estranged brother Noel, as well as musicians Johnny Marr and Paul Weller, saying: “No wonder there [sic] all bum chums too much the guilty bus.” Groan. Again, why are terms like ‘bum chums’ ever a negative? We’re going to start reclaiming them and using them as positives when we have sex. 

February 2018  

Speaking again to the Guardian, Liam issues a heartfelt-seeming apology for his “bum chums” comment. “I didn’t mean it in a homophobic kind of way. I’ve got gay friends, hang out with them constantly, 24/7, girls and guys, do you know what I mean? They know I’m not. I know a lot of people go, ‘Well, that’s what you would fucking say,’ but I didn’t mean it in the way that people presumed or assumed I meant it.” He then says, “I shouldn’t say them things. I didn’t know it really upset people, but if it did, I apologise about it.” 

June 2023 

Responding to a tweet saying: “Liam it’s pride month and I just wanna say thank you for being here for me and helping me be myself as a transgender man,” Liam replies: “Your [sic] welcome,” along with the praying hands emoji. Assuming he’s not being sarcastic, the simplicity of the gesture is almost making us emotional.  

Verdict

Revisiting both the good and the bad of Liam’s past statements is a rollercoaster ride — and yet, we get the sense that, deep down, Liam is definitely, maybe, probably not LGBTQ+-phobic. But what he is, however, is the classic example of a tolerant straight guy who could make waves with his allyship — who could actually change culture and the way straights perceive LGBTQ+s worldwide — but just can’t really be arsed. A bit like Eminem. Come on, Liam — let us stand on the shoulders of giants!